Muscular dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy cannot be cured, but much can be done to remedy and ease the symptoms of the disease. Many people with muscular dystrophy need aids and personal as well as practical assistance.

Muscular dystrophy in children and adults can, depending on the degree of functional impairment, make it difficult to manage everyday activities in the home, at school or at work. Sufferers may tire quickly, have difficulty getting up and sitting down, have poor balance, problems walking, trouble standing up for long periods and difficulty holding kitchen utensils and cutlery.

VELA has a wide selection of customised chairs, sit-stand chairs and electric wheelchairs, which can ease the everyday lives of people with muscular dystrophy, allowing them to be self-reliant for as long as possible.

Where there is a slight functional impairment such as reduced balance or difficulty walking, a customised chair or sit-stand chair can make everyday activities significantly easier:

• Increased mobility: The user can 'walk' the chair forward, and thereby move around without assistance. There is plenty of room for the feet between the large, smooth-running wheels.

  Greater safety: Users who for example have poor standing balance benefit from extra safety and peace of mind when the chair's central brake is activated. This ensures that the chair remains completely stationary when the user stands up or sits down, for example. The armrests offer extra safety and peace of mind; they help the user to lower him- or herself slowly and safely onto the chair.
  Easier operation: If the user has reduced strength in their hands, special easy-to-operate handles and switches can be mounted onto the chair.
  Improved sitting posture: Users benefit from a comfortable and ergonomically correct sitting posture, since seat and backrest are adjustable to their needs.
  More comfort and support: Extra padding can be provided for seat, backrest and armrests with softer foam and various options for seat cushions that are adapted to the user's needs. VELA also offers special pressure-relief seat cushions that promote comfort and ease any pain.
  Less pain: Ease of operation and adjustability of the chair can reduce the risk of pain – electric height adjustment spares the user unnecessary shocks and bumps, for example, and also eases getting into and out of the chair. Reduced pain, greater safety and increased comfort also result in less fatigue.

Where there exists a severe functional impairment, an electric wheelchair with adjustability of both sitting posture and drivability can make everyday life easier:

• Increased mobility: The user benefits from being able to move around on their own, both indoors and outdoors. VELA electric wheelchairs are also available with advanced controls and specially adapted drivability to meet the user's special requirements.

  Greater safety: Users who have poor standing balance benefit from added safety and peace of mind with an electric wheelchair that is adapted to their specific needs. The electric wheelchair's drivability can be programmed so the user has a pleasant, safe experience and the ability to manoeuvre safely around at home, work, school, in shops and out in the street.
  Improved sitting posture: Users benefit from a comfortable and ergonomically correct sitting posture, since seat and backrest are adjustable to their needs. The sitting posture can be set manually or electrically, depending on the user's level of functional impairment and their needs.
  More comfort and support: Extra padding for the seat, backrest and armrests can be provided, for example with softer foam or a variety of seat cushions. Special pressure-relief seat cushions can promote comfort and ease any pain. The user's sitting posture can be stabilised by means of various back support systems, such as lateral supports and head support. It is furthermore possible to install specially adapted seating systems and custom moulds.
  Easier operation: If the user has reduced strength in their hands, a special, easily operated joystick and switches can be mounted onto the chair, for example chin control if the user is unable to use an ordinary joystick. If the user cannot operate an electric wheelchair themselves, attendant control can be installed so that the helper can drive the chair on behalf of the user.
  Less pain: Easy operation and use of the wheelchair's electric functions such as seat tilt can help the user adopt a variety of sitting postures over the course of a long day. The distribution of pressure around the user's body is thus alternated and the risk of pain and pressure sores reduced: this affords a high degree of comfort during extended periods of use.
  More powerful batteries: If the addition of extra electrical equipment is required, VELA can provide larger, more powerful batteries instead of standard batteries.